Tier
Tier is equivalent to 'level' in the hierarchy of both armor and weapons. Weapons with higher attack power and armor with better defense are said to be a higher Tier than others by these guides. When combining two of the same Design or Equipment, the most satisfactory result is usually that of ingredients in two consecutive Tiers. There are almost always exceptions in the lowest tiers, and always exceptions at the highest tiers, where only same-Tier combinations offer advancement. Armor has sixteen Tiers. Same-tier combinations are always the best when Morphing armor from one Equipment to another. This always results in a same-tier product. However, low-Tier items can instead be combined with high-tier to avoid the punitive rules for Mismatch and lose less tier overall. The number of weapon tiers varies from six to twelve. This has a significant effect on combinations, partly because Tier 6 of one weapon Design is not as high up its hierarchy as tier 6 is in another (however, the same results are not seen in same-tier combinations of weapons with the same number of tiers, either). Morphing Weapons from one Design to another is unpredictable, whether at the same tier or different tiers, except that there is a tendency for low-tier combinations with high to lower tier less, just as with Armor. Tiers are loosely related to Materials in that low tiers of armor and shields are only found in and respectively, but they can be crafted with other materials. While the highest of the normal tiers of weapons are unequivocally better than those preceding, the Hand of Light, Holy Win, and Rhomphaia are generally better, but have disadvantages. Armor tiers, as well, are equivocal. Armor Tiers Dread tier is the highest tier of all armor; two Jazeraint pieces will always make Dread, and two Hoplite pieces will always make Jazeraint. Dread offers the most physical defense. Jazeraint is very similar to it in total defense, and actually better in magical defense. Hoplite, also, has less physical and more magical defense than Jazeraint, despite being lower tier. Count up the total stat points for each Dread Armor, Jazeraint Armor, and Hoplite Armor, and not only are they markedly close, but the higher tiers are either the same or even worse in some instances. Dread Armor can be actually worse than Jazeraint, which can also be worse than Hoplite, although not at the same time for each piece, and not for all pieces. If one accepts the premise that Magic sources tend to do more damage than physical ones, and that therefore protection against magic is preferable, then Hoplite is superior in every case. * Hoplite is one more intelligence than Jazeraint in every case except one: Hoplite Body is two more than Jazeraint. * In the case of Helm and Leg, Jazeraint is two points better magic resistance for one less point strength, than Dread; in the case of Shield, three points better. In all other cases, it is one point better. * Hoplite total Intelligence is 109, Jazeraint total Intelligence 103, Dread total Intelligence 94. If one accepts the above premise, but with an eye to total points, then a Hoplite set with a Jazeraint Shield is best. * Jazeraint Shield (31 + 26 = 57) is one more point than Hoplite (29 + 27 = 56) If one accepts the premise that there is considerably more physical damage than magic in the game, and that therefore more damage in total will be reduced by physical resistance, then Dread is better in every case. * Dread is one more physical resistance (strength) than Jazeraint in every case except two more on Dread Shield. Jazeraint, one more than Hoplite except shield, two more. * Dread strength total 126, Jazeraint 120, Hoplite 114. See also Citations Category:Game Mechanics Category:Guides